


Hum Hallelujah

by BeatlessMelody



Category: Persona 5
Genre: (sorta) - Freeform, Fake Dating, If You Squint - Freeform, Jealousy, Jealousy induced fake dating, M/M, Making Out, Ryuji is a blushy boy, These Boys are a MESS, Truth or Dare, akechi/akira, and doesnt rlly know what hes feeling, because akira is trying so hard to be a wingman, cliff hanger ending, he know he hates akechi though, he knows, into seven minutes in heaven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2019-03-31 13:05:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13975743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeatlessMelody/pseuds/BeatlessMelody
Summary: There's only so much you can do when the guy you love has fallen under the spell of another.But perhaps pretending to date your biggest rival for his affection wasn't the best choice.





	Hum Hallelujah

The change wasn’t one that came in waves. No, it happened all at once, and far more  _ drastically _ than Ryuji may have imagined.

 

One day it was normal, or as normal as their lives could get. With Yusuke and himself vying for Akira’s attention the entire time they were together.

 

The next? It didn’t matter what either of them did. Akira was distracted, dazed. And there was only one possible reason for it.

 

Akechi.

 

Ryuji  _ hated _ that pretentious asshole,  ~~ and the way that his smile seemed to put Akira under a spell. ~~

 

Yusuke had noticed too. That much was obvious, from the displeased looks he was throwing in the general direction of where Akira and Akechi sat at the booth; the looks they were giving each other made it overwhelmingly obvious that there was no room in their conversation for anyone else.

 

“This is bullshit.” The words murmured under Ryuji’s breath were enough to draw Yusuke’s eye, Ryuji met the gaze with a scowl that only served to make Yusuke’s lips curl up slightly.

 

“Better with him, than with you.” Though the tone was joking, Ryuji knew the words weren’t. Not truly. “But - yes, it is bullshit. In the loosest terms.”

 

“It isn’t  _ fair _ that he just barged in here with his briefcase and dumb gloves and just-” Ryuji had to pause for a moment, downing the soda that was left in his glass before he spoke once more. “-Stole him away.”   
  
“As if they were fated.” Yusuke agreed, inclining his head slightly before his gaze shifted back to where the two sat. Even Ryuji could see the jealousy blooming there in just the few seconds that Yusuke had grown distracted.

 

“What if we got together.” The words that hummed made Ryuji splash soda across the bar top before it even hit his glass. Wide eyes turning towards Yusuke. He didn’t get the chance to question before Yusuke was speaking once more. “Not  _ actually _ together, idiot. Just to make them think that we’re together. See if it triggers anything in him.”

 

The unspoken words were loud in both of their ears.  _ See if it would get AKIRA to be jealous for once, see if it would put them on top once more. _ __   
  


“I guess that might work-” Ryuji sighed, mussing up already messy hair with one hand. Eyes turned down on the puddle around his glass. Even without looking, he could feel Yusuke’s smile. He hated how it made the tips of his ears turn red.

 

“As long as there’s no kissing involved.” Ryuji’s words were almost a warning, though not one that could be taken seriously.

 

“No kissing.” Yusuke agreed, no matter how he rolled his eyes after Ryuji left to go get something to clean his mess up.

 

* * *

  
  


Three weeks. Three weeks with no change. Hell, it may have even made it  _ worse. _ Ryuji was still trying to get the image of Akira and Akechi making out on Akira’s couch out of his head.

 

Honestly, he didn’t know why this charade was still going on. Why Yusuke was so insistent on them ‘staying together’. This act was useless, and yet still - they continued it. The touching between the two was limited, and as promised; they hadn’t kissed. But even with the twice weekly meetings on their progress this.. Situation they were in certainly didn't feel platonic.

 

Leblanc was filled. The squad shoved in one booth, with the few stragglers perched up at the bar. Ryuji and Yusuke had been lucky enough to be one of the first ones there. Shoved tight into the corner of the booth; Ryuji was pressed almost uncomfortably close to Yusuke, least he take up the  _ rude _ amount of space Futaba had claimed on the other side of him. It wasn’t as if it was unusual, now, the lack of space between the two. And yet still, with the way Yusuke’s arm was thrown oh so casually across Ryuji’s shoulders, it took all he had not to let his face go red.

 

“I’m not saying that dogs are better than cats, I’m just saying-”   
  
“ _ Hey!” _

 

“You’re not even a  _ cat! _ ” The bickering between Makoto and Morgana was nothing but a dull buzz in the back of Ryuji’s mind. Something not  _ quite _ distracting him from the gentle weight around his shoulders that kept him rooted in the present.

 

“-Anyways,” Akira’s voice cut through the static of his mind. Commanding attention and silence from the entire group, as per usual. Ryuji tried to hide his sudden interest, straightening up against Yusuke. “If you two are done arguing, it’s getting crowded down here. You’re all staying over tonight, head up.”

 

It quite obviously wasn’t something up for debate, and Ryuji wasn’t about to try and convince him otherwise. Only when he slid out of the booth and started making his way upstairs could he finally start breathing normally again.

 

God, he really did have to convince Yusuke to let him drop this act, or he was going to die by the end of it.

 

* * *

 

None of them bothered to wait for Akira to finish cleaning up downstairs. Forming a crooked circle around the room. Ryuji only briefly noticed Morgana’s absence, before his gaze was being pulled to Yusuke sitting down right next to him. A move was made to shove the artist away - before he caught the quizzical expression that Akechi had as he watched them.

 

It was that, and that alone, that made Ryuji not care. Glaring towards the other boy, as a hand curled around his ‘boyfriend’s waist. Forcing them closer until they were hip to hip. Ryuji ignored the thrill it sent through him when Yusuke’s slender fingers trailed upon his own hip, brushing bare skin when the touch hiked up his shirt. Instead, he merely shifted slightly. Fingers tightening only briefly on Yusuke’s waist.

 

He ignored the look the taller male gave him, but the unstable thud of his heart soothed when the fingers were gone from his hip, and he physically felt himself slouch just a little bit more.

 

“You guys are  _ boring! _ ” Futaba’s words whined in the relative silence of the attic. And such a pout accompanied them that the peeling laughter of Haru broke through the dull buzz of conversation.

 

“If you’re so bored, why don’t you leave?” The sentence that left Makoto’s lips was almost a challenge,, though it was one that Futaba chose to ignore with nothing but a roll of her eyes and a grumbled ‘whatever’. 

 

But if anyone won, it  _ was _ Makoto, as Futaba shuffled herself backwards against the wall and pulled out her phone. It took only seconds for the headphones to be on, and for the girl to be lost to the world. And then there were 6.

 

“Do you guys wanna play truth or dare?” Ann’s voice broke out after just a few moments, and the suggestion made Ryuji nearly bolt up. He ignored the gentle shake of Yusuke’s body as he laughed.

 

“Truth or dare? Hell yeah! Bet everyone will choose truth though, ‘cause they’re all scared.” Ryuji’s grin was sharp and excited, leaning forwards just slightly towards Ann and the rest of the circle. It wasn't a surprise that the only thing that could truly catch his attention would be such a juvenile game such as truth or dare.

 

“Are you sure we should? I don’t think saying our truths would benefit anyone-”

 

“I agree with Ann. Truth or dare sounds wonderful.” Yusuke silenced Akechi with just a few words, and the way the other male shrunk into himself and snapped his mouth shut was enough to make Ryuji grin once more.

 

Oh, yeah. This could be fun.

  
  


“Truth or dare?”

 

“Dare.”

 

“I dare you to- make me ramen.”

 

“ _ Sakamoto!” _

 

They had been playing for an hour, and already the questions were running low, not to mention the dares. There was only so much more you could do after Haru ate an entire leaf off of Akira’s plant. The game halted until Ann muttered her way downstairs to go complete her dare.

 

“My turn.” Ryuji tried to ignore the way Akira’s voice made his heart pound. It didn’t work. “Ryuji, truth or dare?”

 

“Dare, obviously.” He could already feel the regret mounting in his chest.

 

“I dare you to play seven minutes in heaven with Yusuke.”

 

You could have heard a needle drop in the silence that followed as Ryuji could only stare wide-eyed at his best goddamn friend. When he finally spoke, it was choked.

 

“There’s no clos-”

 

“You can use the bathroom downstairs. Can’t back out of a dare, Ry. Unless you’re scared to?”

 

That settled that. With a huff, Ryuji pulled himself off the couch, grabbing Yusuke’s hand and tugging him up with him. He hated that he knew Akira thought he was being a number one wingman right now. Hated that he now had to waste away seven minutes in close quarters with Yusuke.

 

But still, down they headed. Slamming the door as well as they could behind them.

  
  
  


Three minutes in, and neither of them had moved from where they had situated themselves when they had first arrived. Upstairs, they could hear the game continuing on with the rest of the group, had heard Ann complain when Ryuji was missing in action after she had finished the ramen. But neither of them had moved a muscle. 

 

“What’d you think  _ they _ think we’re doing down here?” Ryuji finally, thankfully, broke the silence. Eyes turned downwards to watch his shoe scuffing against the ground. Yusuke hummed before he answered, and Ryuji could almost feel the air move as the other shrugged.

 

“Whatever it is that couples are supposed to do in these games, I suppose. Kissing or -” He trailed off, but he didn’t have to finish the sentence for Ryuji to know what he meant. “- Are you blushing?”

 

Shit, fuck God  _ dammit! _ It became overwhelmingly obvious within seconds of those words falling from the others lips that his face was  _ burning _ red. Yusuke, on the other hand, seemed  _ perfectly _ content with the current situation. Bastard.

 

“ ‘Course I’m not blushing, fuck off-”

 

* * *

 

Five minutes. They were so damn  _ close _ to being free. They had moved closer to each other now, with Ryuji leaning against Yusuke’s shoulder and Yusuke propped against the sink. Their boredom was becoming overwhelmingly obvious, and Ryuji caught Yusuke nearly falling asleep twice.

 

“This is dumb.” The words muttered into the stale air, and Yusuke only shrugged. Ryuji could feel the eyes on him before he even looked up. “I can’t believe they just left us down here.”

 

“I don't mind it.” The tone the artist had adopted drew a roll of Ryuji’s eyes. But the eye contact didn’t falter. 

  
  


The silence between them was suddenly heavy, and Ryuji was suddenly overwhelmingly aware of the beat of his heart in his chest, and the closeness of their faces.

 

He didn’t think to pull away, to stop this moment before it started. And he certainly didn’t think about pulling back when Yusuke leaned in.

 

Their lips met gently at first. Yusuke’s hand was soft on Ryuji’s cheek, and no matter how clumsy and unsure he was - Yusuke didn’t pull away. But even such gentility couldn't last for long.                                                                            

 

Ryuji’s back slammed against the wall much harder than he was sure Yusuke meant. The kiss growing into something rough, desperate. He almost whined when Yusuke pulled back to speak.

 

“Are you okay? Is this okay?” Yusuke’s words were genuinely concerned, but all Ryuji could do was nod. It was all the reassurance that Yusuke needed, and they were off once more.

 

It didn’t take long for Ryuji to get a grip on what to do or how to do it. But no matter the newfound confidence; his face was still a brilliant red.

 

It was no different from kissing girls, not really. But Yusuke’s lips were far softer than any girl he had ever kissed, even if he tasted just as sweet.

 

But God, none of those girls could make him react so _prominently_ with so little effort. All Yusuke had done was bitten his lip, and Ryuji was moaning before he even knew what hit him. Hands curling rough into the previously smooth hair of the other man, pulling their bodies closer until he was sure Yusuke could feel the frantic heartbeat pounding against his chest.

 

Yusuke’s hand curled around his waist, pulling them even tighter together when-

 

“ _ Knew it! _ ” The door being opened was followed immediately by Akira’s gleeful words. The seven minutes were up.

 

Pushing at Yusuke’s chest, the kiss was broken just as quickly as it was initiated. Both of their heavy breathing being the only thing that Ryuji could hear over the roar in his ears as his eyes slid over the faces of his friends crowded in the doorway. What a sight they must make. Ryuji; red as all hell and still clinging to Yusuke’s shirt. And Yusuke; disheveled and panting.

 

“We didn’t- This, uh-” Ryuji’s excuses were halting at best, scrambling for words that could explain what was happening here. 

 

“It’s alright, Sakamoto. You’re together. It isn’t like it’s unusual for you to-”

 

“Shut  _ UP _ ! You don’t know shit. You don’t know shit about what’s going on here! Stop trying- stop trying to act like you  _ know everything!” _ Ryuji’s words blew up in Akechi’s face. Leaving him, and the rest of the group looking shell-shocked. Pushing away from Yusuke, he shoved through the crowd. Hot tears burned at the backs of his eyes, and he rubbed at them roughly.

 

He heard Yusuke call his name before he slammed the door of the café behind him.


End file.
